Studio spot lamp



Feb. 6, 1945. J. c. ROSE STUDIO SAPOT LAMP Filed Feb. 3, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 23;? MWML Z i/qdorneya Ill Feb. 6, 1945. J. c. ROSE 2,368,781

STUDIO SPOT LAMP Filed Feb. 3, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J 105 35 3 "Zara -46 /6'- fizz/e22 for. I ///-& 26 Jess 6'- Rose;

Mam/M 5o /03 hr? 4 Patented Feb. 6, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT- oFncsf 1" i asssns STUDIO SPOT LAMP Jess C. Rose, Los Angeles,. Cal-it, assignor :to

Bardwell & McAlister, Inc., Los Angeles, a corporation of California Application February 3, 1941, Serial No. 377,153

1 Claim. (Cl. 220-97) This invention relates generally to studio spot lamps such as are used in motion picturestudios for illumination of sets.

As commonly constructed these lamps have a generally cylindric outside casing, surmountedby a relatively narrow longitudinally extending chimney structure, and having a housing structure at the bottom for enclosure of the guide rods on which the incandescent lamp carriage is mounted, as well as of theusual'focusing mechanism. The chimney structure at the top may comprise an arcuate plate overlying or covering over a space between the upper edges of two approximately semicylindric side wall members, the structure being designed to permit circulation of heated air out throughthe top.

Motion picture studios own large numbers of such lamps, and may employ as many as two hundred of them in lighting aset. The problems of storing these lamps when not in use, and of trucking them between storage room and set, are relatively heavy, since the conventional construction prohibits their being stacked one on an-- other, and only a limited number of them can be carried by an ordinary truck. A given truck may have only sufiicient capacity to. carry say six of such lamps, whereas if they could be stacked one on another, as many as twenty-four lamps could easily be carried by the same truck.

It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a type of studio lamp of such design as to permit stacking of a number of such lamps in a vertical pile.

Another problem in motion picture studio lamp design concerns the provision of a structure which may be used under conditions of rainfall natural or artificial) withoutthedown-pouring water getting inside the lamp through the ventilation openings in the top. Anotherproblem is the provision of ventilation openings and passages of such size and arrangement as to keep the lamp relatively cool-during prolonged use. Still another problem is the provision of suitable light traps atall ventilation-openings, such as will guard against stray light escapingfrom the lamp housing, since stray light ona set interferes seriously with proper photography.

Further objects of the invention are therefore to provide an improved lamp structure which has ventilation provision conducive to lower operating temperature, to'provide a lamp structure of such design as. to guard against incoming water when the lamp is. used irnthe rain, and toprovide a lamp structure provided with-efiective light trap provisions at all ventilator openings.

The lamp of the present invention will behest understood from the following detailed description of a present preferred embodiment thereof;

reference for this purpose being had to the accompany'ing drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section taken on broken line 'll of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on line of Fi 1: p

Fig. 3 is a plan view of thelamp;

Fig. 4 shows two of the lampsstacked one on the other;

Fig. 5 is'a detail section tak'enasl'indicated by l lines 5-5 'of Fig. 2; 15

Fig. 6 is a detail section taken on line'6- -6 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 7 is a detail'sectionftaken on line 1+1 of f Fig. 2.

The lamp of the present invention has cylin'dric side wall sections I0, a broad, flat-bottomed redtangular structure I let the bottom, and a broad, fiat-topped rectangular chimney structure H at the top, all of which-extend longitudinally be tween front and rear end framesgenerally desigmated by numerals l3 and Mfrespectively. The flat top of the lamp is-sufficiently broad' to serve as an effective carrying platformfor the equally broad flat bottom of} another similarlamp, so that a number of the lamps may be stacked one on the other without liability of. the" stack toppling over.

For this purpose, both the bottom'andthe top of 75% of'the full width of the lamp. 'A stack of four such lamps is quite stable, and unlikely to fall even during transportation'in a truck..

Each of end frames l3; and l l'i's'here shown to embody a round central memberlE, preferably formed by spinning, andprovided with a mar,-

ginal flange [6 in which are received the cylindric' side wall members of 'the'lamp, 381131381, to" be described. Each of members [5 also has an inwardly turned flange 2! defining a circular opening for a hinged door.

Arear door 22 is receiv able inside the rear door opening, being hinged at 23 on rear en'd frame. A front door 24 1s receivable insidethe front door opening, being hinged at 25 on front end'frame l3.. These doors It may be menequipped with the usual lens 28, preferably and here shown as the Fresnel type, and may have a somewhat forwardly projecting annular flange part 29 equipped with usual diffuser brackets 39.

End frames 13 and, i4 also include extension castings 3| and 32 mounted on the top andbottom sides of the round central members 15, cast- I ings 3| and 32 having marginal inwardly turned flanges 33, and being securedto'members 15 as by suitable screws passing through their engag- The previously mentioned cylindric sides IQ of the lamp, as here embodied, consist of arcuate or 1 cylindric sheet metal walls 35 received inside and secured to the flanges N of end frame members The upper edges 36 of these cylindric side l5. walls 35 are located at the intersection of the cylindric sides of the lamp with the vertical sides of the rectangular top structure l2, as clearly appearsin Fig. 2,-- while the lower edges 31 of side walls 35 are spaced a short distance above the intersection of the cylindric sides of the lamp with the vertical sides-of the rectangular bottom 3 cess for the accommodation of a suitable handle 42 that is secured to member 4! at the bottom of the depression, this handle being confined entirely below the top plane of top structure l2.

ing flanges, as will be understood from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2. 1

The carrying handle 42 for the lamp is thus accommodated in a pocket sunk in the top surface of top structure [2, so that interference between said handle and any lamp stacked on top structure I2 is avoided. The end frame members 3! conform to the V-shaped depression in top member l4, as will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 2. The two longitudinal edges of top member 4! are provided with short depending flanges 44,- fora purpose that will appear later.

Top structure l2 ha side wall members 46, extending between end frame members 3| and 3 received inside and secured to flanges 33, the lower edges 41 of said members 46 terminating above the upper edges 36 of the aforementioned cylindric.side wall members 35, so as to provide j longitudinally extending air circulation spaces 48 .between the edges 36 and 41.

Side wall members 46 are turned inwardly at the top, to form top portions 50, and the latter terminate substantially short of the longitudinal edges of top member 40, soas to leave longitudinally extending air circulation apertures 5| of considerable 3 width in the top of the lamp, in positions substantially offset fromthe center line of the lamp, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The edges of members 50 are formed with downwardly turned flanges Straps '53 mounted on top members and 50, and bridging across the space 5| (see Figs. 2 and 3) are provided with upstanding positioning lugs-54,which are adapted to be received in corresponding apertures formed in the bottom of a similar lamp when the lamps are stacked, as,

later to be more fully described. There are four of these straps 53, and four of the positioning lugs 54, near the four corners of the rectangular top structure l2, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Th rectangular bottom structure H of the lamp includesintegral side and bottom wall vmembers. 6i] and 9|, which ,extend between end frame members 32 and are received inside and secured to the flanges 33 of the latter. The inner edges of bottom members Bl define a relatively wide air inlet-aperture 62, extending the length of the lamp. Fitted in this aperture is a light-trap structure 63, which comprises vertical side walls 64 secured to the edges of bottom members 61, and transverse chevron-shaped light baflles 65 extending between walls 64. The bailies 95 are relatively closely spaced, so as to prevent any light escaping downwardly through the bottom of the lamp, while at the same time afiording passageways for free circulation of air upwardl into the interior of the lamp.

Baffle supporting rings 19 are mounted inside the lamp, as on brackets H secured to circular end frame members I5, and secured, as by welding, to the rings 16 are pairs of cylindric annu- 1arly spaced bafile plates 72 and 13, arranged concentrically with and at annular spacing inside cylindric side walls 35. The baffle plates 12, which are on opposite sides of and serve to define the interior lamp chamber 14, are separated at the top by upwardly and somewhat inwardly inclined baflle extensions 15 that serve to define a flue, and are separated at the bottom by downwardly and somewhat inwardlyinclined baffle extensions 16 between which cooling air is drawn in. The baflles 13 are spaced midway between baflles T2 and side walls 35, as shown.

' Extending inwardly and upwardly from the upper edges of side wall members 60 are deflector flanges 89, the upper edges 8| of which are spaced inwardly of the lower edgesBZ of baflies 13, for a purpose presently to be explained.

Below the longitudinal apertures 5| in the top of the lamp, and extending beyond the flanges 44 and 52 defining said apertures, are horizontal :baffle plates 85. These plates extend the full length of the lamp, and are secured at the ends, as by welding, to end frame members 3|. The inner longitudinal edges of these plates 85 are formed with upstandin flanges 86,, which as shown rise to the level ofthe lower edges of flanges 44 and 52, and which are spaced inwardly of the flanges 44, so as to provide an air circulation space outwardly between said flanges. The outer edges of the plates are formed, beyond flanges 52, with downwardly inclined flanges 81. The formation is such as to prevent any light from escaping from the lamp through apertures 5|. I V V I The two bottom wall members BI of the lamp are provided with four apertures 99, in line with able on these rods is a lamp carriage 96, of any suitable or conventional type, adapted to carry the usual incandescent light globe 91.

Qarriage 96 also supports a small spherical reflector 98' to the rear of light globe 91, .the, reflector 98 being designed to receive light from the filament 99 of globe 91 and to reflect it back to a focus in the plane of the filament 99. The lamp carriage 96, globe 91. and reflector 98 may be of conventional types and will require no detailed consideration herein, Figure j 2.,shows a focusing" mechanism suitable for sliding carriage 96 along guide rods 95, and comprising a bracket arm I extending from carriage 96, a link l0l pivotally connected to arm I00, a crank I02 pivotally connected to link I0! and mounted for rotation on side wall 60, and an exterior operating handle I03. Such a focusing mechanism is described and claimed in my prior Patent Re. 21,089, issued, May 16, 1939. It will be understood that rotation of handle I03 will operate crank arm I02 and link 10! to slide lamp carriage 96 longitudinally on guide rods 95, thus adjusting'the position of globe 91 with reference to the lens 28 of the lamp, so as to adjust the focus.

Numeral H0 indicates the usual supporting yoke, the two side wall members 35 of the lamp carrying mounting plates III to which the arms of the yoke are trunnioned in a conventional manner, as indicated at H2. This yoke has a pin I 13 (see Fig. 3) adapted to .be removably inserted in a usual stand, not shown. The yokes are shown in Fig. 4 as swung to the side to permit stacking of the lamps.

In the operation of the lamp, a great deal of heat is generated by the globe 91. This heat is rapidly dissipated by the baflling and ventilation system provided by the construction as described. The heated air rises from the globe 91 through the flue defined by the baflle members I5, and leaves the lamp at the top through longitudinal openings 5| by way of the two passages defined by the pairs of cooperating flanges 86 and 44,

and 81 and 52. At the same time, cool air is being drawn into the lamp through the passageways 62 between the baffle members 65 at the bottom of the lamp, this cool air rising into the interior of the lamp chamber 14 between the baflle members 16, where it is heated and'escapes as above described. The baflle members 12 tend to become heated, and are cooled by circulation of air entering the bottom of the lamp and passing around the outside of the members 12. Further cooling is accomplished by air entering in the spaces 31a between the lower edges of side Wall members 35 and flange 80, the latter air rising on both sides of the baffles 13, part of it escaping through openings 48, and part of it rising to the top and escaping through openings 5|. The described circulations of air from the opening in rangement of ventilation openings and baflles is such as to exclude water from the interior chamber 14 of the lamp even when the lamp is used allyleave the lamp via openings 31a, the flanges keeping the water from going on down into the bottom of the lamp, as will be evident.

Fig. 4 shows how the lamps of the present invention may be stacked for storage or transportation, the broad, fiat bottom of the upper lamp being supported by the broad flat top of the lamp below, with the upstanding positioning lugs 54 of the bottom lamp received in the corresponding apertures in the bottom of the lamp above. In the present design, it is of course actually the flange portions 33 'at the top and bottom of the end frames l 3 and M of the two lamps that come into supporting engagement when the lamps are stacked, as will be understood from inspection of Fig. 4.

The lamp of the present invention thus has the novel characteristic that it is designed for stacking-a feature of utmost advantage under present motion picture studio practices. It has the further feature of improved ventilation, and' therefore lower operating temperature. combined with this latter feature is the provision of a rain excluding design, and the provision of effective light traps at all ventilation openings.

A present preferred embodiment of the invention has now' been described; it is to be understood, however, that this is for illustrative purposes only, and that various changes in design, structure and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention or of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a lamp housing, the combination of front and rear end frames, cylindrical sheet metal side wall members extending between said end frames defining opposite sides of the lamp housing, a relatively broad substantially rectangular sheet metal top structure rising above the upper edges of said side wall members and secured to and extending between said end frames, and a relatively broad substantially rectangular sheet metal bottom structure extending downwardly below the lower edges of said side wall members and secured to and extending between said end frames,'said top and bottom structure being of widths approximately three-quarters the width of the lamp 

